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WiiThe Virtual Console Archive

Adventure Island may be the least polished of the series, but it still holds up well today. It's never really hard - It just requires quick reaction speed and memorization. If you're a fan of platformers, this is not one to be missed. It's a cult classic and still a great game to play. Just get that Hudson bee or you'll be sorry!

Hudson Entertainment's mobile division is playing it safe, porting proven franchises from its days as a third-party NES developer. The latest of these wireless conversions is Adventure Island, in which you reprise the role of Master Higgins, a portly safari enthusiast who's no stranger to danger. Whether on foot or riding his signature skateboard, Higgins must navigate the unforgiving jungle, dodging or dispatching predatory pests in the process. The resulting game is a simple platformer, periodically punctuated by some perfunctory boss fights (which are all essentially the same). This is a strong port, with superior graphics to the NES original. Gameplay problems result from the autofire implemented to compensate for mobile's inferior control, but Adventure Island still remains a fun game that has been effectively adapted for the platform.

Adventure Island may be the least polished of the series, but it still holds up today. It's never really hard - it just requires quick reaction speed and memorization. If you're a fan of platformers, this is not one to be missed. It's a cult classic and still great.

That said, if you like the idea of Adventure Island we'd recommend you go for New Adventure Island instead. The TurboGrafx title has been available on Virtual Console for some time now and has far superior graphics and sound for only 100 extra points.

Still, Adventure Island is an important title on the NES because it eventually leads to a series that went in a different direction than the Wonderboy games, though it still owes its existence to that game alone. It's a good game to check out if you're into platformers, but I doubt you'd play it again or perhaps even finish it unless you're a hardcore gamer or fan of the series. I really have no inclination to check it out again, I'd rather play Wonderboy. But before you go onto Adventure Island II, you might want to give it a look for history's sake.

The TG-16 installment, New Adventure Island, is a much better version to track down, as its upgrades in visuals and sound justify the purchase. Why? Because gameplay-wise the two titles are essentially the same. We'd recommend going that route rather than investing in this NES edition.

The Turbo installment, New Adventure Island, is also currently available on the Virtual Console for just 100 Points more than this download would run you. And its upgrades in visuals and sound probably justify the extra buck for curious players, because gameplay-wise the two titles are essentially the same. We'd recommend going that route rather than investing in this game, but don't let that turn you off from the later NES and SNES Island Adventures – they mixed up the fruit-munching formula quite a bit, and will each be worth a look when they eventually arrive in the Wii Shop.

Yet, despite all of its flaws, Adventure Island is still an enjoyable game. Remember how I said it had a lot in common with Super Mario Bros.? A fortunate side effect of borrowing so much from its inspiration is that this also carried over some of the intangible “fun factor.” Hudson successfully capitalized on the simple joys of running, jumping, and throwing stuff at oversized animals. Combine this with the gimmick of unnecessarily punishing difficulty and the result is a remarkably playable game. Adventure Island might not be inspiring, innovative, or even particularly well-designed, but its fundamentals are still solid enough to make it worth playing. Well, unless you happen to miss that Hudson Bee. Then it’s just stupid.

I like how the game uses numbered checkpoints, which make it easy to gauge your progress. I typically enjoy this style of game, but Adventure Island's control scheme is awkward as hell. The A button is used to jump, but B is used to both run (hold down) and toss weapons. Consequentially, attacking creatures while controlling your speed is about as easy as patting your head while rubbing your stomach. You can try to whiz through the game or take it slow, but some sort of middle ground is badly needed. I really wanted to enjoy Adventure Island, but it's too hard to play!